Tram Towers Phase 2 seeks sketch approval for six townhomes in Teton Village

Under the aerial tram easement above Fish Creek’s drainage, a small vacant lot on McCollister Drive is poised to become the last stop for new short term rentable units in Teton Village’s residential area. On June 1, the Teton County Planning Commission will take up ETW Phase 2 LLC’s sketch plan for Tram Towers Townhomes Phase 2, three duplex buildings for a total of six attached single family units on 0.54 acres (SKC2024-0001), next to the existing Tram Towers Phase 1 subdivision. County staff recommend approval with no conditions, saying the plan substantially conforms to the Teton Village Area I Master Plan and land development regulations, with future subdivision and building permits to follow administratively. See the Planning Commission Meeting Agenda.

What to watch is not just the architecture, but the ecological housekeeping that determines whether this becomes one more chronic problem site. The staff report notes each unit is under 6,000 square feet and that the project would consume all 24 remaining unallocated APOs (Average Peak Occupancy) in the residential portion of Teton Village Area I, allowing each townhome to be used as short term rental lodging if the owners choose. The Teton Conservation District flags stormwater routing on this sloped parcel, urging infiltration to protect water quality downstream in Fish Creek, which has a draft nutrient impairment, and calls for strong erosion control during construction. They also raise a Wildland Urban Interface issue, noting the application references cedar shingles, a material they say is not allowed under county code in WUI areas. On wildlife, they recommend vetting landscaping choices that can draw moose into building entrances and roadways, and designing secure trash storage up front to reduce bear conflicts that have been persistent in the base area. Details are in the Planning Commission Packet, Tram Towers Townhomes Phase 2 Sketch Plan.